NEW DELHI: A Manchester-bound IndiGo flight (6E 033), operated on a leased Boeing 787 from Delhi, returned to the national capital on Monday due to last-minute airspace restrictions imposed by Eritrean authorities amid the West Asia conflict.
“Our flight had to return to its origin due to last-minute airspace restrictions owing to the ongoing situation in West Asia. We are working with relevant authorities to explore resuming the journey,” IndiGo stated, confirming approval issues with Eritrea after a risk assessment.
The airline, using Norse Atlantic’s Boeing 787-9s for European routes (except Athens on A321 XLR), now reroutes via Africa—over Arabian Sea, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Red Sea, and Egypt—bypassing EASA-barred Middle East airspaces like Saudi Arabia due to the Iran-Israel war.
IndiGo warned of longer routes or diversions for Europe/London flights amid escalating tensions, including Israeli strikes on Tehran, Iran’s alleged UAE/Bahrain attacks, Khamenei’s martyrdom, and oil above $112/barrel. Indian carriers typically use Saudi airspace for shorter Europe paths.
